Sasquatch
Oct 8 Cure Tickets Honored May 25 at the Gorge
posted by
Amy Kate Horn
on
May 9 at
12:38 PM
After infuriating hours spent in endless loops with various "customer service" people at Ticketmaster, and fruitless fine-toothed searches on the websites of The Cure and Sasquatch, I finally have an answer for those of us holding tickets to the canceled October 8 Cure date at KeyArena: The original tickets will be honored at the gates at Sasquatch May 25. Live Nation's John Ogle just confirmed it via e-mail. Fingers now crossed for clear skies and falling stars.
Sasquatch
Greetings From Beirut! An Interview with Zach Condon
posted by
Eric Grandy
on
May 8 at
6:00 PM
A month ago, Beirut abruptly cancelled their upcoming European summer tour, leaving them with just a half dozen West Coast dates, including Sasquatch!, to fulfill. The band posted a letter from bandleader Zach Condon expressing his surprise and appreciation for the band’s success (“the past two years have been a mindblowing experience”), his desire “to do everything as big as possible” with the band he’d begun in his bedroom, and his subsequent exhaustion with his own outsized ambition. He concluded, “It's come time to change some things, reinvent some others, and come back at some point with a fresh perspective and batch of songs. Please accept my apologies. I promise we'll be back, in some form.”
This afternoon, Condon gave the Stranger his first interview since that announcement. It'll appear in its entirety in our upcoming guide to the Sasquatch Music Festival, but a couple things seemed worth sharing now. Like, just what has Condon been up to for the last month?
So you’re working on a new record?
Yeah, a new one, one that I’m actually working on right now as we speak. I went down to Mexico to do that, and I’m going back soon, after this tour—finishing what I’ve started.
Have you been hearing a lot of, like, Mariachi or Norteno there?
Actually, it’s not Mariachi or Norteño that I’ve been listening to. The story is: I was going to do this soundtrack, but I ended up not doing it, because they wanted more of a string quartet kind of feel, and I couldn’t do that. But the reference material they sent me was all from the far south of Mexico, Oaxaca. It was all these bands that consisted entirely of Zapotec natives, and they were all doing these kind of dirgey funeral marches with 17 piece brass bands. There was something so naïve and martial in that music that I really fell in love with. It had nothing to do, actually, with Mariachi or Norte ño. To be honest, it sounded more like what Klezmer music is supposed to be or something. The raw exposed nerve of the music really struck a chord with me, maybe that will do it some justice.
Do you have any plans for a title or a date for a release? Will you be debuting some songs at Sasquatch?
Yeah. I’ve come back with a small batch of songs that we’re going to start performing right away. I’m going back for more, but at the moment, there’s at least an EPs worth. I expect to release it maybe in the fall, but I to be honest I don’t know. You can put that down, I’m going to try for the fall.
There's much more. Look for the complete interview in the Stranger's Sasquatch guide, out next week.
Sasquatch
re: Prince Covers Radiohead at Coachella
posted by
Brendan Kiley
on
April 28 at
11:05 AM
I wish Prince were coming to Sasquatch.
Partly because critics are freaking out over his Coachella gig (Idolator: "Prince takes Coachella to school"), but mostly because I love Prince as an idea, as The Perfect American, but I've never seen him play.
And Prince doesn't seem like the kind of musician you can really learn to love on records alone (unless you're a kid, because kids have projectile imaginations that hurl them into the world of the record they're listening to, which is why kids can and do fall in love with Prince in their bedrooms). But for stunted adults like me, who came to Prince late, the records are groovy but just don't make it.
I need to see The Perfect American live.
Why the Perfect American? Because Prince is all things to all people, the ideal American synthesis—ethnically, sexually, gender-wise, fashion-wise. He's a dandy and a rocker, a warm epicurean and a cold futurist. A prancing woodland creature in velvet and a slick technophile in vinyl. A decadent, Old-World aristocrat and a New-World evangelist for the democracy of the dance club.
(One of my favorite stories about Prince comes from a radio DJ, who used to DJ at clubs in Minneapolis. Prince would run into the club super early in the morning, after working all night on a new song, and hand the DJ a flimsy little test pressing to play. Then he'd stand in the center of the floor, listening and watching. This, Prince said, was the only way to know if a song would work—to hear it on big club speakers and to watch it on the bodies around him.)
Miles Davis adored him.
Charlie Murphy lost to him at basketball.
Tipper Gore founded the Parent Music Resource Center after she heard her 12-year-old daughter listening to "Darling Nikki."
He actually convinced the American public to refer to him as "the Artist Formerly Known As Prince."
He's a hypersexed vegan Jehovah's Witness.
Prince is America.
(Now all I have to do is learn to like his music...)
Sasquatch
Ha Ha! Comedy Line-Up for Sasquatch Announced
posted by
Megan Seling
on
March 31 at
1:43 PM
Along with all the music over at the Gorge during Sasquatch, the festival also has a comedy tent. Today, they announced who will be performing:
Upright Citizen's Brigade
performing A.S.S.S.S.C.A.T. and more with:
Matt Besser (founding member UCB, Crossballs, Junebug)
Matt Walsh (Dog Bites Man, Reno 911, Semi-Pro, Old School)
Horatio Sanz (Saturday Night Live)
Tim Meadows (Saturday Night Live, The Ladies Man, Walk Hard, Semi-Pro)
Jerry Minor (Saturday Night Live, Second City, Arrested Development, Carpoolers)
Rich Fulcher (The Mighty Boosh)
Sean Conroy (UCB, Comedy Central, The Swarm)
Brian Posehn (Sarah Silverman Program, Comedians of Comedy, Just Shoot Me)
Morgan Murphy (Comedians of Comedy, Sleeping Dogs Lie)
Reggie Watts (Maktub, Andy Kaufman Comedy Award winner)
People's Republic of Komedy (Seattle Alternative Comedy Collective):
Andy Haynes, Kevin Hyder, Aziza Diaz, Derek Sheen
Michael Showalter (The State, Stella, Wet Hot American Summer, The Baxter)
Michael Ian Black (The State, Stella, Viva Variety, Ed, Wet Hot American Summer)
Eugene Mirman (Sub Pop recording artist, Flight of The Conchords, Comedians of Comedy)
Marc Maron (Air America, Comedy Central, The Jerusalem Syndrome)
Seattle School (Iron Composer, Stranger Genius Award winner):
Mike Min, Korby Sears, Liza Keckler
The specific details regarding who's performing when is TBA. And in case you missed it, the most recent day-to-day breakdown for music is after the jump.
Sasquatch has announced the day-by-day breakdown of this year's festival, which, of course, goes down Memorial Day Weekend at the Gorge:
Saturday, May 24th
R.E.M. / Modest Mouse / M.I.A. / The New Pornographers / The National / Ozomatli / Beirut / Dengue Fever / Fleet Foxes / The Breeders / Okkervil River / Crudo (featuring Mike Patton & Dan The Automator) / Destroyer / The Little Ones / Dead Confederate / Grand Archives / David Bazan / Joshua Morrison / Vince Mira with the Roy Kay Trio / Throw Me The Statue / The Shaky Hands
Sunday, May 25th
The Cure / Death Cab For Cutie / Michael Franti & Spearhead / Blue Scholars / Cold War Kids / Tegan & Sara / Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks / The Kooks / Mates of State / Rogue Wave / White Rabbits / The Heavenly States / 65daysofstatic / Sera Cahoone / The Blakes / The Cops / J. Tillman / "Awesome"
Monday, May 26th
The Flaming Lips U.F.O. Show / The Mars Volta / Flight Of The Conchords / Rodrigo Y Gabriela / Built To Spill / The Hives / Matt Costa / Ghostland Observatory / Jamie Lidell / Battles / The Cave Singers / Thao Nguyen with the Get Down Stay Down / Pela / Kinski / Dyme Def / Say Hi / Siberian
Sorry about the ALL CAPS, but that's how the press release came in... and I'm not retyping all that.
SASQUATCH! MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2008 LINEUP
Memorial Day Weekend | May 24, 25, 26, 2008
The Gorge | Quincy, WA
R.E.M, THE CURE, THE FLAMING LIPS U.F.O. SHOW, DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, MODEST MOUSE, M.I.A., MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD, FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS, THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS, THE PRESIDENTS, THE NATIONAL, TEGAN & SARA, BUILT TO SPILL, THE HIVES, RODRIGO Y GABRIELA, OZOMATLI, COLD WAR KIDS, THE BREEDERS, BEIRUT, THE KOOKS, MATT COSTA, BLUE SCHOLARS, GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY, STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS, THE FLAMING LIPS MOVIE PREMIER: “CHRISTMAS ON MARS”, OKKERVIL RIVER, DENGUE FEVER, JAMIE LIDELL, CRUDO (FEAT. MIKE PATTON & DAN THE AUTOMATOR), MATES OF STATE, DESTROYER, ROGUE WAVE, BATTLES, THE FLEET FOXES, WHITE RABBITS, THE CAVE SINGERS, PELA, GRAND ARCHIVES, THE LITTLE ONES, THAO NGUYEN & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN, DEAD CONFEDERATE, 65DAYSOFSTATIC, THE HEAVENLY STATES, KINSKI, DAVID BAZAN, DYME DEF, VINCE MIRA WITH THE ROY KAY TRIO, SERA CAHOONE, JOSHUA MORRISON, THE BLAKES, SIBERIAN, THROW ME THE STATUE, THE COPS, SAY HI, THE SHAKY HANDS, J. TILLMAN, “AWESOME”, AND MORE TO COME!
And here's the ticket info, via the same press release:
$55 per day for the on sale weekend only, beginning Saturday, March 8th at noon
$65 per day beginning Monday, March 10th
$75 week of the festival, beginning Monday, May 19th
V.I.P. package tickets with special amenities also available. Full details on the festival website: www.sasquatchfestival.com.
Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 8th at noon and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, sasquatchfestival.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone in Seattle (206) 628-0888, in Oregon (503) 224-4400, and in Eastern Washington (509) 735-0500
Camping is available for May 23, 24, 25, 26 and reservations can be made when purchasing tickets via Ticketmaster. For more details, directions and further information on camping at The Gorge Amphitheatre go to www.sasquatchfestival.com.
Sasquatch
Beasties, Björk, and the Money Mark Interview
posted by
Kelly O
on
May 30 at
11:05 AM
Man. While watching Björk, I couldn't help but wonder what the hell she does to stay looking so young. Seriously. She looked like she couldn't be more than 20-years old. I wasn't stoned either. And how about Ad-Rock? While Mike D and Adam Yauch are showing some age, Adam Horovitz still looks like a 20-year old too. What do they do? Carrot juice I.V.'s? Take a bath in Creme de La Mer every morning? Or maybe they just drink the blood of small children. Anyway. Here are some videos. Please enjoy!
First a quick boast: For the official Stranger Sasquatch! guide, Megan put together a festival scavenger hunt, listing items to look for around the Gorge over the weekend. As unlikely as we thought they were (Michael Franti's shoes, a tuft of Sarah Silverman's arm hair), some of these items proved prescient. There was indeed a third Gallant in the form of lead tambourinist Cody Votolato. And then there was the Incredible Bongo Band recordMix Master Mike scratched during the Beastie Boys' main stage set. Megan, you're an oracle.
So how about that wind? The main stage was shut down for at least an hour yesterday, maybe more, blowing fans off the massive lawn and towards Sasquatch's smaller stages. So the Wookie Stage was packed for the Black Angels' heavy-duty psych, which was loud as fuck. The wind threw off my schedule as well as the festival's--bouncing between interviews and stages, I only caught the tail end of the Angels, the Spree, Common Market, and Money Mark.
The literal whirlwind that blew through the Gorge carried the potential for disaster--temperatures plummeted, sets were delayed--but attendees and production both handled the chaos with resilience. Spearhead's afternoon main stage set was moved to the Wookie Stage later at night, a good small-setting counterpoint to the Beastie Boys' massive main stage production. Interpol went on pretty much on time on the wind-delayed main stage and for whatever reason, people seemed to like them. Me, I just don't get it. I hear Interpol and all I hear is guitarguitarguitar and attitudeattitudeattitude, and not in a good way. Where's the originality? Why do people like them? Why were they on the main stage?
Eric Grandy, your Sasquatch! post was, like this festival itself, epic.
But I must take issue with your classifying of Citizen Cope as "hippy crap." I know hippy crap, and hippy crap is far better than whatever the hell it is that Cope does.
Also, you and Cody V. (aka the Third Gallant) are dead wrong about the Beastie Boys. It sounds like you didn't stick around for the full set, but it was stellar. If you've ever been a fan--and for me, that's going back 20 years--you couldn't not love their extended instrumental set last night. The banter between songs was priceless enough, but the songs themselves were energized, tight, and raucous. I'm psyched for their main stage set tonight. I just hope the wind lays down by showtime.
The main stage at Sasquatch! is currently shut down because of extreme winds.
Last year hail cut off Neko Case; this year 40-mph gusts cut short the Polyphonic Spree a half-hour into their set. One thing you can count on here at the Gorge: Mother Nature will make an appearance, and she will not be upstaged.
Before all that mess, Bad Brains played an inspired set on the main stage, sailing from sultry dub reggae into raging hardcore as if the two were meant for each other. They're the only band who could make that leap, and it's great having them back. It was awesome hearing classic tracks like "Supertouch" and "Banned in DC" coming from the legendary quartet, played with a passion and ease that suggested they are very real and very glad to be here. HR stood unmoving at the mic, raising an occasional fist but mostly crooning and crowing as the band thrashed in the background. It was the only reggae-fied vibe at Sasquatch! this year and the sound fully suited the setting.
Also fit for the sunshine: Money Mark's soulful pop. Caught the last song he played over at the Wookie Stage and dug it more than I expected to. I'm a fan of his older, weirder keyboard experiments and his new album hasn't really done it for me, but live his new material was as energetic and catchy as anything I've seen here.
Tokyo Police Club just finished up over there at the Wookie and Smoosh are playing the Yeti Stage as I type, sounding way more woman than girl. Spoon are supposed to be on the main stage but are in a holding pattern until the wind stops whipping. The massive lighting rigs above the stage were swaying like feeble tree branches. Nobody wants to stand underneath that potential disaster while they're performing.
Great video interviews with Money Mark and Michael Franti coming as soon as possible. Franti played San Quentin State Prison just last weekend and had some heavy-duty tales to tell.
"So we went over the tapes from last night and realized there were some problems with our execution. And our defense could've been stronger but we're gonna work on that. It was a tough game but we played hard."
And so Mike D began the Beastie Boys' press conference at Sasquatch!, the three Boys crammed with 15 sweaty journalists in a tiny trailer, set up behind a table and bullshitting. Horovitz said in our phone a couple weeks ago interview that the band is feeling themselves; judging from their demeanor (and last night's "instrumental" set, which I'll get to in a minute) they're seriously feeling themselves.
Horovitz: "You know I'm a free agent, so I'm looking into making a trade after this season. The Arcade Fire, I was talking to them last night. I hear Bjork is looking to fill some positions."
Yauch: "We're looking into seeing how small we can get. We're playing a show next week in my grandma's living room, her and two friends sitting on a couch."
Diamond: "The energy level will be different for that one. We'll play our hits. We have a lot of hits."
Yauch: "'The Night Chicago Died," "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," "Joy to the World."
Horovitz: Jim Croce--"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"--he died in a plane crash in the '70s. He was a Scientologist, wasn't he? L. Ron Hubbard, Jim Croce, Clear Channel--google it. There's a website."
Yauch: "Forward-slash Horovitz-awkward-outburst."
About their upcoming instrumental album The Mix-Up: Horovitz: It's an interesting time to not say something. We've got the same fucked up situation as before, when we were saying something."
About what to expect from their main stage set: "Bigger artillery. It's a bigger stage, you gotta bring out bigger weapons. That's pretty violent, isn't it? How about this: Imagine a daisy..."
Yauch: "With a razor blade in it."
The banter continued like this for 20 minutes, the Boys so damn sharp and clever-- and yes, feeling themselves--that they almost--almost--shrouded their brilliance in ridiculous banter and wise-ass-itude. But that wise-ass-itude is their brilliance, and it was as evident in their super nonchalant demeanor inside a trailer as it was onstage last night. Their set, billed as instrumental, leading many to believe it would be sans vocals, which it entirely wasn't, was phenomenal. They played instruments, yes ("Every band plays instruments, right?" said Yauch inside the trailer. "We weren't sure what to call the set last night. We didn't want to disappoint people.") and they started with their instrumental numbers from Check Your Head, but they also played "Blue Nun" and "Jimmy James" and "Sure Shot," vocal tracks usually played with samples and scratching, all done with renewed energy and musicality, thanks to the instruments. These were total reinterpretations of their best songs, and they sounded great.
Essentially the Beastie Boys are completely reborn. What they did last night guaranteed at least another 20 years of freshness, for themselves and for their fans. They sported a new-ish look, a sort of dapper undercover cop/Blues Brothers/Men in Black thing, and had Money Mark on keys and a percussionist--Mario Caldato, maybe. As a longtime fan, I was totally thrilled to see the new format, hear the new sound, and know that they've still got plenty of mileage in them.
OK I'm cutting this short I can hear Bad Brains wafting up from the main stage. Suffice to say Sasquatch! Day Two: Lovin' it.
Craig Finn of of the Hold Steady was singing "How am I supposed to know if you're high if you won't let me touch you/How am I supposed to know if you're high if you won't even dance" as I came over the crest and into the Gorge Amphitheater yesterday. He was a dot down there on the stage and about the size of a Youtube video on the jumbotron screens that flanked it. No one was dancing, no one was going to be touched by Finn, and I at least wasn't high. So I started drinking.
I'd never been to the Gorge before yesterday, and I was kind of expecting it to be a nightmare. I'm not partial to big, festival crowds, and while I'd heard wonderful things about the Gorge itself, I'd heard my share of worrying anecdotes about Sasquatch. But you know what? Sasquatch was fucking awesome. I had a total blast, the weather was perfect, the place is as gorgeous as everyone says, bands were great, and I even warmed up to the crowd. There can be something pretty life-affirming about being surrounded by so many people all gathered for something artful and fun and all pretty much getting along. And no, I didn't smoke any pot.
Sasquatch
I Have Danced to the Hold Steady, I Have Fallen in Love With the Blow, and I Almost Stepped on Michael Showalter
posted by
Megan Seling
on
May 26 at
7:00 PM
Sorry, Mr. Showalter, I didn't see you sitting there in the grass. Can I hold the purppy?
Somewhere off in the horizon, I can vaguely hear Sarah Silverman talking about taking a piss in the Long Winter's bathroom. And now I can hear John Roderick crooning.
As suspected, today has been a whirlwind of trying to see as many artists as possible while weaving through the maze of ridiculously ugly shoes (honestly, I don't understand why so many people where these!) and even uglier tattoos.
Regardless, I have managed to have a great time so far, having caught the Hold Steady, the Blow, Mirah, Two Gallants, Visqueen, and some other stuff here and there that I can't remember because the sun has cooked my brain.
The Hold Steady were fantastically fun. I could only imagine how amazing it would be to see the band in a tighter, sweatier, dancier, and smaller club, and my imagination promises it'd be awesome. See, I missed them when they played the Croc many, many months ago, and they were the one and only band I absolutely had to see this weekend because I love them oh so much. So while seein' 'em here in blazing daylight with about 5,000 feet of security barricades separating us certainly isn't the same as a sticky and intimate nightclub, it was still a helluva show.
Not only did the keyboardist look dapper in his nice black slacks and matching vest (in 80 degree weather, no less), but he's also the proud owner of the best mustache I've seen today (or ever, for that matter). Singer Craig Finn also had the best dance moves of the day. So far, at least, Bjork hasn't played yet.
Here's a video of them playing "First Night," one of my favorites on their latest album. Sounds not the greatest, but it'll do.
The yellow security shirts will haunt me for now and forever. Sorry I couldn't avoid getting shots of the wall o' men in there.
The Blow was next, and they, I mean she, I mean Khaela Maricich was absolutely charming with her funny monologues about unrequited love, boys who yell at girls while driving by them, and other random but amusing topics. I was comforted by the fact that she two wonders why some boys never call even if it seems like they really like you. It's so hard being a girl...
It was just her on stage, singing the songs to the pre-recorded beats, but she was still endearing and entertaining. And actually, I take back what I said about Finn having the greatest dance moves... the Blow wins.
Mirah, backed by a drums, an accordian, and a cello, was adorable and in fine form, but she was far too quiet and I could hardly enjoy the set over the chatterboxes in the crowd and all the other music the was bleeding into the area.
I was also surprised that I liked the Two Gallants as much as I did. Sorta a drunken Ted Leo meets an even drunker Pogues sound. Jonathan has said enough about them, though, yes? Yes. Nice boys, great music, and who knew they'd actually bring out a third Gallant?
And now, in the background, I hear a little of both Aqueduct and the Long Winters... that's a weird mashup.
I'm gonna go find more shitty tattoos.
Conditions couldn't be more perfect out here at the Gorge for the sixth annual Sasquatch! Music Festival. It's 70-something degrees, high clouds are gauzing out the sun, and a beautiful breeze continually kicks up at the perfect moment.
The first of those came at during the final song of the Slip's 1 pm set, as the Boston trio segued into "Children of December," one of their signature tunes. Almost indie, almost jammy, it's a beautiful composition that allows singer Andrew Barr's vocals to shine on some sweetly sentimental lyrics. Maybe it was just the cool breeze, but I was attacked by a suddun rush of goosebumps: blue sky, good friends, gorgeous music, total contentment. The Slip are one of those bands that you either have a soft spot for or don't; after following their musical evolution for the last few years, I definitely do.
First set of the day for me was the Saturday Knights at the main stage, where the hometown homeboys ran laps and ran the crowd. "This will be a demonstration of fun," was Tilson's introduction. He, Barfly, and Suspense were joined by a (new?) guitarist and banged out a few from their EP and a bunch of new numbers. Sample trainspotting netted a snippet from the Bar-Kay's bass rumbler "Holy Ghost," the Pixie's "Where Is My Mind," and the guitar line from "25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago. Nice. More than hiphop or rock, I hear TSK as finely-crafted pop music--all la-la-la's and catchy choruses--and for an opening set their party-hearty upbeatitude was just right.
Just caught Two Gallants wreck the Wookie Stage. Wasn't sure how their punk folk blues, so perfectly suited to dark bars and basements, would translate to a sunny outdoor stage, but as Eric Grandy noted, they've got a hobo kinda vibe, and hobos have no choice but to play outside. The band was, as usual, riveting, consistently one of my favorite live acts. They were joined onstage by a third Gallant, Blood Brother Cody Votolato, rocking a mean tambourine. They previewed "Seems Like Home to Me" from their new EP (Oh shit! The Saturday Knights have entered the media trailer--Barfly with beer in hand, Tilson "walking on gold" in some snazzy-ass gilded Nikes. That's how you make an entrance.) that blended into an older fan favorite "Steady Rollin'." Both songs rock with that beer-swinging, broken-hearted blues that the Gallants do so well. In the midst of "Steady Rollin" singer Adam Stephens threw in a new verse, "If you go to Houston, you best walk right," a nod to the band's run-in with the law during a show there. Following Stephens' masked smiles and drummer Tyson Vogel's Animal-style drumming, "My Baby's Gone" closed out the hard-hitting set, an unrecorded track from way back in the band's catalog. The crowd ate it up.
Only four hours in and it's already been a phenomenal day. The Gorge is an epic setting for a festival like this. The grounds aren't too big and arent' too small and the backdrop behind the main stage--the Columbia River Gorge opening up in a massive, grand vista--is breathtaking.
Speaking of, time to catch some Neko Case over there at the main stage. Rock on!
We're all going to Sasquatch this weekend to bask in the desert sun (I hope I get 10,000 more freckles!). I'm making a music watching wish list (you always miss something you were going to see by running into an old friend and chatting outside the port-a-johns for a half hour or wanting to get food but the line is a mile long or falling asleep in the grass). Sometimes it's really hard to decide what to see, as well. Here it is!
Saturday
Blitzen Trapper on the Yeti Stage at noon
Saturday Knights on the Mainstage at 12:45
(food/walking around break)
Two Gallants on the Wookie Stage at 2:30 Can't Decide Alert!: Should I stay at the Wookie Stage and see Electrelane or go back to the Yeti Stage to see Viva Voce? I'm probably going to choose Electrelane because I haven't seen them since they played at Vera with the Ex and that show blew my mind.
Mirah on the Yeti Stage at 5:25
Grizzly Bear on the Wookie Stage at 5:50
Manu Chao, Arcade Fire, and Björk on the Mainstage starting at 7:35
Sunday
St. Vincent on the Wookie Stage at noon
Mix Master Mike on the Mainstage at 12:50
Patrick Wolf on the Wookie Stage at 2:20 (EXTENDED LIE IN THE GRASS BREAK)
Tokyo Police Club on the Wookie Stage at 4:45 (GOING WHEREVER THE WIND TAKES ME, BUT HOPEFULLY AWAY FROM THE DANDY WARHOLS)
What are you guys up to? (This includes the other staff!)
posted by
Jonah Spangenthal-Lee
on
May 23 at
3:21 PM
We had a great Sasquatch guide in last week's print edition of The Stranger but I was a little disappointed to see that none of the great hiphop acts performing this weekend got any shine. And no, the Beastie Boys don't count.
Gabriel Teodros, showcasing the softer side of Seattle hip hop, is performing on the Yeti stage at 1PM on Saturday and Common Market is there Sunday at (huh huh) 4:20. If you go see Polyphonic Spree instead of Common Market, you're a chump.
On Sunday, get your ass to the mainstage at 12:50 to see Mix Master Mike, formerly of the Invisibl Skratch Pikls, perform some of the most accessible turntablism ever. He's the only thing still (if ever) interesting going on with the Beastie Boys.
After MMM, stick around at the mainstage for Gift of Gab and Chief Xcel aka Blackalicious. Gab is a lyrical technician and should not be missed.
Now, a clip of Gab rocking the mic alongside Tom Green:
According to the Sasquatch website, M.I.A. has had to cancel her appearance at the festival due to visa issues. What a bummer. Two out of the three times she's set to perform for the Seattle audience, she's had this problem. Is she a sound terrorist or something?
Looks like the Long Winters have been added in her place.
As much as I love Manu Chao's albums--Clandestino is an underground classic--his live shows can be somewhat one-dimensional. I saw him in a rare US appearance last summer in San Diego; what started out as an unforgettable performance, blending dub, punk, ska, and rock in Chao's inimitable manner, devolved into a repetitive ska-punk blowout halfway through.
Still, I'm psyched that he's coming to Sasquatch. Maybe he'll stick with the dub and ditch the punk.
More importantly, thinking about Manu Chao brought to mind one of his proteges, the relatively unknown Spanish oddity Tonino Carotone.
I was turned on to Carotone by a friend in Barcelona while traveling through Spain in '01. Dude is Spanish by birth but some kind of Italophile--he's adopted the quintessential look of the Italian greaseball, pencil-thin mustache and all--and sings in a weird mix of Spanish, Castillian, and Italian. The first two tracks from his second album, 2000's Mondo Dificile, were produced by Chao, and percolate with that deep, dubby funk he's known for, blended with Carotone's own mafioso wedding music shmaltz.
One of those two tracks is "Me Cago en el Amor"--"I Shit on Love." Here's a YouTube vid that follows Carotone through the streets of Barcelona as he dry humps a harem of well-dressed mannequins. Fuckin' weird and totally awesome.
Sasquatch
Beastie Boys To Play Instrumental Set At Sasquatch
posted by
Eric Grandy
on
March 28 at
11:31 AM
Sasquatch has just announced that the Beastie Boys will be playing an exclusive instrumental set at Sasquatch Saturday on the Wookie Stage. This is in addition to their headlining set on the Mainstage.
Sasquatch goes down May 26 & 27th at the Gorge.
Update: Here is the complete lineup as of today:
Saturday, May 26th:
Björk, The Arcade Fire, Manu Chao and Radio Bemba Sound System, M.I.A., Citizen Cope, Neko Case, The Hold Steady, The Saturday Knights, Mix Master Mike, Beastie Boys - A Gala Event - Exclusive Instrumental Show, Grizzly Bear, Ghostland Observatory, Electrelane, Two Gallants, Lonely, Dear, The Slip, Aqueduct, Mirah, The Blow, Viva Voce, Gabriel Teodros, Blitzen Trapper
Sunday, May 27th:
Beastie Boys, Interpol, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Spoon, The Polyphonic Spree, Ozomatli, Bad Brains, Mix Master Mike, The Dandy Warhols, The Black Angels, Clinic, Tokyo Police Club, Earl Greyhound, Money Mark, St. Vincent, Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter, Common Market, Smoosh, The Helio Sequence, Minus The Bear, Stars of Track and Field, The Blakes
Comedians Michael Showalter and Aziz Ansari will be hosting the Wookie and Yeti stages. Sarah Silverman hosts the main stage on both days.
posted by
Jonathan Zwickel
on
February 23 at
2:06 PM
In another instance of indie-rock/indie-comedy crossover, dirty grrrl comedienne Sarah Silverman will host(ess?) this summer's Sasquatch! Festival, taking place May 26 - 27 at the Gorge.
I'm rather ambivalent about Silverman's schlock-and-raw brand of humor. I've read some hilarious bits from her in various hipster rags over the years, but last night I ended up watching The Sarah Silverman Program, her brand-new sitcom on Comedy Central, and was pretty meh about it. She's funnier behind the camera than in front of it.
But Silverman sold out the Showbox last week, so some of you out there must love her.
Sasquatch
Bjork, Beastie Boys headline Sasquatch! 2007
posted by
Kurt B. Reighley
on
February 20 at
8:55 AM
The acts for the 6th annual Sasquatch! Music Festival were announced this morning, with Björk and the Beastie Boys in the top slots. The bill also includes Arcade Fire, Interpol, M.I.A., and a returning Neko Case, who had to curtail her 2006 spot due to catastrophic weather. All total, this year's shindig will feature over 50 artists (including my nemesis Citizen Cope) on three stages, Memorial Day Weekend (Sat. May 26 and Sun. May 27) at the Gorge Amphitheatre. Tickets go on sale Sat. March 3 at 10:00 AM.
Here's the complete line-up so far:
Saturday, May 26th:
Björk
The Arcade Fire
Manu Chao Radio Bemba Sound System
M.I.A.
Citizen Cope
Neko Case
The Hold Steady
Grizzly Bear
Ghostland Observatory
Electrelane
Two Gallants
The Slip
Loney, Dear
Aqueduct
The Thermals
Viva Voce
The Blow
Gabriel Teodros
Sunday, May 27th:
Beastie Boys
Interpol
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Spoon
Bad Brains
Ozomatli
Dandy Warhols
The Black Angels
Mirah
Tokyo Police Club
Money Mark
St. Vincent
Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter
Smoosh
Common Market
Helio Sequence
Minus The Bear
SASQUATCH! ANNOUNCES FESTIVAL DATES FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND SATURDAY, MAY 26TH AND SUNDAY, MAY 27TH
TICKETS GO ON SALE SATURDAY, MARCH 3RD AT 10AM
SEATTLE, WA - February 7, 2007 Sasquatch! Music Festival announces its 6th annual event to be held over Memorial Day Weekend on Saturday, May 26th and Sunday, May 27th at the Gorge Amphitheatre. Tickets for the festival go on-sale Saturday, March 3rd at 10:00 am. Camping for the festival is available starting Friday, May 25th through Sunday, May 27th on the grounds and reservations can be made upon ticket purchase.
The line-up for the 2007 Sasquatch! Music Festival will be officially announced Tuesday, February 20th.
Stay Tuned to Lineout for immediate posts about the line up!
